Thursday, March 29, 2012

Things I Learned From My Parents

Apologies for my absence. Work has been cray cray.

Today, I dedicate this page to things I learned from my parents. Not necessarily things they said, but their actions. I am still working on all of these, mind you. It's good to write them down and really think about them.

I welcome you all to comment with lessons from your parents. (Mom, no need to comment. I know the lessons your mom taught you.)

In no particular order:

"May I please have..."

- don't just use this phrase, abuse it

"Thank you"

- same as above

Kindness/Patience

- Yes, they go hand in hand. I have literally never heard my parents speak down to or aggressively toward a waitress, no matter how bad the service. This doesn't just apply to wait staff...it applies to life.

Ask Questions

- My dad knows everything. Literally. But when he wants more information, he asks, or he reads about the subject until he knows everything there is to know. Now, my fiance knows everything. Literally. If he doesn't, he reads about it until he does know everything. Luckily, I have those two to answer all my 30923409283409 questions.

Be Resourceful

- Last weekend I used the elastic from those yellow tags they put on your suitcase when you check your baggage plane-side, as cufflinks for my Fiance's shirt at a wedding. One time, my mom used the canvas strap from her art bag to hold down the hood of my car. Yes, THE HOOD OF A CAR. I used boob tape to fix my ripped bedskirt. No one knows the difference. Don't panic. THINK.

Chill - Be Flexible

- I am a planner. Always have been and always will be. I like to know what the plan is WAY in advance BUT I also don't have a heart attack when the plan changes. Being prepared is good, being FLEXIBLE is better. When it comes to large groups, I usually just lay back and let someone else plan. It's easier to be the flexible one, trust me.

Stand Up For Yourself

- I put this after "Chill - Be Flexible" for a reason. It's one thing to be flexible, it's another to let people walk all over you. My neighbor growing up had a bumper sticker that read, "Question Authority". I didn't take this as literally as my brother did but the point is, I try to be flexible but when I really want something, I stand up for myself.

Love

- Growing up my parents always kissed each other hello and goodbye. My parents still kiss in front of me (gross). After like 35 years of marriage. Don't lose that.

Live and Let Live

- Have fun. Let your loved ones have fun.

Children First

- I don't know how they do it, and I know I didn't appreciate it soon enough, but my parents literally put their children first. Always. Every second. It's impossible for me to even fathom. At 65 years old they still drive 6 hours to visit me in NYC because taking a plane or a bus home is inconvenient for me. They make everything happen, at their inconvenience. I'm fairly certain they ate soup for 15 years so that I could go to any college I wanted and not graduate consumed with loans.

WHAT MY GRANDMOTHER "HONEY" TAUGHT ME

"Aren't we lucky?"

Honey always said, "Aren't we lucky?". Think about it. I can't tell you the number of times I look around at my life and think, "Man, I am lucky."